Every item purchased on Envato Market comes with a licence — a legal permission to use the item in a specific way. Choosing the right licence before purchasing matters, because the licence determines what you are and are not allowed to do with the item.
This article explains all Envato Market licence types in plain language, starting with the most commonly used.
Standard Licences: Regular and Extended
Most items on Envato Market — including themes, code, graphics, video templates, and 3D items — are sold under either a Regular Licence or an Extended Licence. The key question to ask yourself is: Will end users be able to access your finished project for free, or will they have to pay?
| Regular Licence | Extended Licence | |
|---|---|---|
| Use in a free end product | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Use in a paid/subscription end product | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Number of end products | 1 | 1 |
| Use in stock items or templates for resale | ❌ No | ❌ No |
Regular Licence — for free-to-access end products
Choose the Regular Licence if the final product is freely accessible to end users — meaning no part of the end product that incorporates the item requires a payment to access.
For Blogging themes, there is a special application of this rule (see below).
Examples:
- Even though you (as a freelancer) were paid by your client to create a website to advertise their business, the fact that the website can be viewed for free means that the Regular License is sufficient.
- Even though a website may be used for e-commerce or to generate advertising revenue is commercial, as long as users can access the site itself without having to pay, a Regular License is sufficient.
- Even though an advertisement is commercial, as long as viewers can see it free of charge, a Regular License is sufficient.
- Even though access to part (or all) of a site may require payment or paid subscription, for blogging themes, a Regular License is sufficient. A blogging theme is a theme published in the blogging category on ThemeForest.
View full Regular Licence terms →
Extended Licence — for paid or subscription-access end products
Choose the Extended Licence if end users must pay — or pay for a subscription — to access the end product incorporating the item.
Examples where an Extended Licence is required:
- A website or app behind a paywall or paid membership
- A game sold to the public
- A section of a free website that is only available to paying members (even if the rest of the site is free)
Important: Neither a Regular Licence nor an Extended Licence permits you to create multiple end products from a single purchase — both licences cover one end product only. If you need to use an item in multiple end products, see this FAQ: Can I use one licence for multiple projects?.
View full Extended Licence terms →
Music Licences
Music items on AudioJungle use a different set of licences tailored specifically for audio use. The right music licence depends on how and where the music will be used.
Music items on AudioJungle use a dedicated set of five licences tailored to the specific needs of production music. The right licence depends on where and how the music will be used — particularly the audience size and distribution method.
| Music Standard | Music Broadcast (1 Million) | Music Mass Reproduction | Music Broadcast (10 Million) | Music Broadcast & Film | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of end products | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Most web uses (e.g. YouTube — see FAQ) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| TV/radio broadcast, broadcast advertising, and online equivalents | ❌ No | Up to 1 million audience | Up to 1 million audience | Up to 10 million audience | Unlimited audience |
| Copies of downloaded or physical products (e.g. apps, DVDs, video games, audiobooks) | Up to 10,000 copies or downloads | Up to 10,000 copies or downloads | Unlimited copies or downloads | Unlimited copies or downloads | Unlimited copies or downloads |
| Film | Indie film & festival | Indie film & festival | Indie film & festival | Indie film & festival | Theatrically released film |
View full Music Licence terms →
Sound Effects (SFX) Licences
Sound effects from AudioJungle are covered by two SFX-specific licences — separate from the music licences. Unlike music licences, both SFX licences include broadcast and film use. The key difference is whether you need to use the sound effect in one project or across multiple end products and clients.
| SFX (Single Use) | SFX (Multi-Use) | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of end products | 1 | Unlimited |
| Number of clients | 1 | Unlimited |
| Use in an end product that's sold | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Broadcast & film use | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| On-demand products/services (e.g. "made to order" or "create your own" apps and sites) | One licence per each customised end product | ❌ No |
| Use in stock items/templates (see FAQ) | ❌ No | ❌ No |
View full Sound Effects Licence terms →
Video Licences
Video items from VideoHive — including stock footage and motion graphics — are covered by two Video Media licences. The key difference is whether you need to use the footage in one project or across multiple end products and clients.
Note: After Effects templates and video templates are covered by the Standard Licences (Regular and Extended), not the Video Media licences below.
| Video Media (Single Use) | Video Media (Multi-Use) | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of end products | 1 | Unlimited |
| Number of clients | 1 | Unlimited |
| Use in an end product that's sold | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| On-demand products/services (e.g. "made to order" or "create your own" apps and sites) | One licence per each customised end product | ❌ No |
| Use in stock items/templates (see FAQ) | ❌ No | ❌ No |
View full Video Licence terms →
Photo Licences
Photos from PhotoDune use two photo-specific licences. The key difference is the number of copies you can make — the Regular Licence has a reproduction limit of 500,000 copies, while the Extended Licence allows unlimited copies. Both licences allow use across unlimited end products.
| PhotoDune Regular | PhotoDune Extended | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of end products | Unlimited (subject to copy limit) | Unlimited |
| Copies of downloaded or physical products (e.g. apps, flyers, books) | 500,000 total copies | Unlimited copies |
| Use in a free or commercial end product (more than one end user allowed) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Merchandising use (where the primary value of the product lies in the photo itself) | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| On-demand products/services (e.g. "made to order" or "create your own" apps and sites) | One licence per each customised end product | ❌ No |
| Use in stock items/templates (see FAQ) | ❌ No | ❌ No |
View full Photo Licence terms →
Specialty Licences
Specialty Licences cover specific item types and use cases that fall outside the Standard Licence framework. There are four Specialty Licences, each designed for a particular type of item or use.
Course Licence
The Course Licence is a non-exclusive licence for personal educational use. One licence covers a single user for a single course. It is not transferable and does not permit commercial use or redistribution.
Tools Licence
The Tools Licence covers installable items such as add-ons and fonts from GraphicRiver, and tools and applications from CodeCanyon. Items under this licence can be used to create multiple end products, but cannot be included or bundled within an end product itself.
Logo Licence
The Logo Licence is a non-exclusive licence for the development of a single, unique logo. One licence covers the use of the item in one unique logo design. Once created, the final logo can then be used in unlimited ways — for example, on websites, business cards, merchandise, and marketing materials.
T-Shirt Licences
T-Shirt Licences cover the use of specialty t-shirt design templates for printed merchandise. The key difference between the two tiers is the print run limit.
| T-Shirt Regular | T-Shirt Extended | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of end products | 1 | 1 |
| Use in an end product that's free or sold | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Print run limit | 10,000 copies | Unlimited |
View full Specialty Licence terms →
Frequently asked questions
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What counts as "free to access"?
"Free to access" means that the general public can access the end product without paying. More specifically, no part of the end product that incorporates or relies on the licensed item requires a payment to access.
Examples of "free to access" end products:
- A client website that anyone can visit — even if you charged your client to build it, and even if the site earns money through advertising or e-commerce
- A website built for a business that sells products — as long as visitors can browse the site itself without paying
- An advertisement broadcast on free TV or published online for free viewing
- A blogging theme website, even if part or all of it is behind a paywall (blogging themes are a special exception to the general rule)
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What counts as "accessed for free" if some aspect of the end product is monetised?
Some situations are not immediately obvious. Use the table below as a guide:
Scenario Licence required You use a plugin in a website that anyone can access, but the site earns money through advertising Regular You use a plugin in the free section of a website, but also in a section only available to paying members Extended You use a 3D model in a game that will be sold to the public Extended You use a 3D model in a free-to-play game, but only paying "premium" players can access that item Extended You use a graphic in an advertisement broadcast on free TV Regular You use a graphic in an advertisement broadcast on pay or subscription TV Regular — a purely promotional item only requires a Regular Licence, even if it reaches a paying audience You use a video template in a YouTube episode of a TV show, accessible for free Regular You use a video template in a TV show sold to a broadcaster (even if viewers watch for free) Extended — because you or your client are selling the product to the broadcaster You use a blogging theme on a website that is fully or partially behind a paywall Regular — blogging themes are a special exception -
What won't the Extended Licence let you do?
If you want to create multiple end products you typically cannot do so with an Extended License or Regular License, since both are limited to a single end product. In this case, you’ll need to purchase a separate license for each end product. There are exceptions which sometimes allow multiple uses of a single item (you can find these in the other FAQs) but when it comes to the Regular vs Extended license, the license you need will depend on whether the end product is distributed free of charge or sold or otherwise available free of charge - the number of end products won’t make a difference.
If you’re using the item in an editorial way, this won’t usually make a difference to the license you need. Choose the Regular License if your end product is distributed free of charge, and choose the Extended License if your end product is sold or otherwise limited to paying customers
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What is the difference between a Regular Licence and an Extended Licence?
The key difference is whether end users pay to access your finished product. A Regular Licence is for end products that are freely accessible. An Extended Licence is required if users must pay or subscribe to access the end product. Both licences cover one end product only, however, for the full list of scenarios where one licence may cover multiple end products, see: How many licences do I need to make multiple end products with the same item?
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Do I need a different licence for music, video, and photos?
Yes. Music, sound effects, video, and photo items each have their own dedicated licence types with specific terms. The Standard (Regular/Extended) licences apply to themes, code, graphics, and 3D items. See the sections above for the correct licence for your item type.
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Can I use one licence for multiple projects?
In most cases, no — every licence covers one end product only, and a separate licence is required for each end product. However, there are specific categories where a single licence (or a single-use licence, where applicable) may cover multiple end products.
These exceptions include scenarios such as creating multiple instances of the same end product for the same client, or certain types of broadcast or series use. Whether your use qualifies depends on the specific circumstances.
For the full list of scenarios where one licence may cover multiple end products, see: How many licences do I need to make multiple end products with the same item?
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What if I need to upgrade my licence after purchasing?
If you purchased the wrong licence, see: How to Upgrade or Change Your Envato Market Licence
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Where can I read the full licence terms?
Full licence terms for all Envato Market licence types are available at: themeforest.net/licenses